Third Wave: 1980-1993
From The Peopling of NYC
The Mariel boatlifts at around 1980 marked the third wave and turning point of Cuban migration. US immigration policy became much more restrictive because of the disorganized nature of the boatlifts themselves– only relatives were supposed to board the boat – but anyone who came did. For this same reason, the demographic profile of the entrants was much more mixed – more representative of the Cuban population.
